"Earthship" is another cheap alternative construction method. Building houses according to the method - Earth ship Earth ship

Hello, my name is Daria Nature. This, of course, is my pseudonym, with which I want to remind myself that in reality there is only Nature, wonderful and unified, and Daria is just a character. So in the column "author" I will write - a squirrel with a camera. My main activity is to sit on the edge or jump from branch to branch, click the shutter of the lens and talk about what I saw ...;) Let's assume that I introduced myself, and now, apparently, it's time not only to rustle in the bushes, collecting impressions, but Wapche muster up the courage and compose the first fairy tale!

"Garden of Nature" - this is the image that appeared to me. Maybe I read and listened to Buckminster Fuller, Masanobu Fukuoka, Michael Reynolds or other architects and nerds, freaks, as they are called by the “civilized part of society”. But only they are there in their works, having devoted their whole lives to the inventions of “alternatives”, they say that it’s time to somehow leave your heavy and smelly ... I ... overgrown with a thick layer of self-importance (as if such an “airbag” can save from something) and turn to Nature! Maybe already... well, already... well, at least for a second, such a desire will arise? And they somehow had it right away.

Inventor Buckminster Fuller
and"Spaceship Earth"

The spaceship Earth was so unusually designed and constructed that, as far as we know, people have been on board for two million years and still have no idea that they are on a spaceship. In addition, our spacecraft was so superbly designed that it has every opportunity to revive life on board, regardless of various events and entropy, due to which energy losses are possible for all life systems.

R.B. Fuller " Spaceship Earth Control Manual »

Bucky F Uller (1895-1983), called to see a teacher in Nature, collected complex and multidimensional images of the “Spaceship Earth” and the “Eternally Reviving Universe”, in which there is everything for all people to achieve success, as if hinting, that humanity already has the resources and technological capabilities to provide 100% of the population at the proper level. He wrote a "management manual" for the planet-ship, clarifying the understanding that all the wealth invented and incorporated into its design was a guarantee of security and prosperity offered to us!

Believing himself to be just "B's guinea pig" in the divine laboratory, he became the Navigator, showing an alternative course through the seething waters of the new cosmic current. He invented technical means life support inspired by the principles of nature's form building, explaining how nature "achieves more with less" (super-efficiently) and that this is close and available to us if we try to understand it.

Fuller suggested different variants autonomous houses and Vehicle, skillfully designed, thought out to the smallest detail and at the same time simple, taking into account the true needs of a person.
They almost always had a number of advantages: serial production, lightness, strength, resistance to any
external loads (blizzards, rains and hurricanes - chaos is raging outside, and you are sitting drinking tea in your arch-techno-hut and you can watch the candle flame tremble ...), large coverage areas, renewable resources, complete harmony with the ecosystem, built-in her, the ability to grow natural food and fully regulate the internal microclimate! What else do you need, Carl!?))

The project of a personal garden of Eden "Skybreak Dome". “These houses produce more than they consume. This gives a powerful movement towards sustainability. Your life becomes an integral part of the land covered by the dome. This approach is a radically different way, giving a new definition to the word "home"" [RBF]

And all these beauties of the synthesis of the natural environment and works of architecture and technology called "personal garden of Eden" (for a moment, what does it feel like?) Just luxury high luxury! Here is a house for you with all conveniences, not harming anything living around, made of bioneutral materials, powered by natural energy (energy efficient, therefore!), with a harmonious and correct redistribution of waste. Tastefully designed! Please, all the technologies are there ... kids are right there, chic bushes and trees outside the window ... and there you can sing, dance, do different things ... your own ... human, squirrel, hamster, etc. And what, for health, as they say! After all, the co-creation of man and nature is an excellent partnership agreement! Shh… nature will tell you, and take the results for yourself! The main thing is to benefit, and not “that’s all” ... After all, all you need is to be good and joyful, that’s what you really want, but .., simplicity, harmony, freedom, some interesting business, art, well, and worldly works ... that which is close to the soul and does not allow it to rust and become covered with a scab of despondency ...))

Sketch of the "Ship Earth" in the space scheme [RBF]

And what about his images that "ship Earth is meant for everyone"? And it's true, only for some reason it sometimes seems that "not everyone" thinks so... Maybe they think, like not for everyone, but for the most important gentlemen, the Great Pirates...? It’s hard to imagine what they think to themselves there ..!)) It’s no wonder why simple solutions and with all the possibilities they integrate so slowly, how will the system survive if people stop supporting it?

World Map Dymaxion: the discovery and development of a new mapping system of projection, thanks to which humanity can see the map of the entire planet Earth as a map of a one-world island in a one-world ocean, without any visible interference in the relative size and shape of the earth masses and without any breaks in continental contours . This is a warped map for exploring the world's problems and displaying resources and other data in their true proportion. Opened - 1933, published - 1943.
[RBF " The grin of giants »]

Fuller never thought of taking nature apart and selling it piece by piece, nor did he try to improve it in the laboratory. Instead, his instruments embody and use the mathematics of nature and the principles of its design. For Fuller, the stuff of poetry is the patterns of human behavior and the environment, and the interacting hierarchies of physics, design, and industry.

Alex Gerber " Integrity in Education »

One day they will build themselves such domes-arks and shoot them out of a cozy-stable box-concrete overpopulated hell into a “personal garden of Eden”, ... fine ... but what are we going to do with our colossus for the production of desires that distract a person’s attention from the main thing .. ?)) And they will raise their own food, and children, happy and healthy, without smartphones, boosters, additives and complex systems of “education”. At the same time, all technologies will be competently used, they will learn how to extract, create, perk up. Here, even the very word autonomy can cause fear and cast doubt on such a project (who is this, a freak with another utopia?) And if mobility is also added here, then how can you catch this wild, uncontrollable and inexplicable crap! What are you, what are you?! Tell me!))

True, some seeds have sprouted! The advanced part of society, which became the “alternative community”, saw the value of these ideas and the topic gradually developed throughout the world (which inspired me to look for similar implemented examples). It's hard not to be inspired whenbefore you the image of the “eternally reborn” looms, and you are “like the first squirrel in space”, flying on the “spaceship Earth” ...

Farmer Masanobu Fukuoka
and "Natural Farming Method"

I collect my fragments (more precisely, the fragments of my ideas about how and what is here) after meeting with these giants of thought and action into a holistic “holistic worldview” ...

Cultivation of agricultural plants is the next cultural step, requiring knowledge and constant effort. main feature Fukuoka's method lies in the fact that he conducts his economy by cooperating with nature, not trying to conquer or improve it. Hence the name of his method - "natural", that is, natural or natural.

Larry Korn in One Straw Revolution (M. Fukuoka)

A person before getting to know Fuller's work, I'm sure if he caught the message and was inspired - this is already a different person, like a different person after getting acquainted with the life and work of Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008), a Japanese farmer, the founder of the "method of natural farming", who also, something tells me, in collaboration with Matushka created something, getting unprecedented harvests without plowing, machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other things that burn out life ... Such a harmonious, thin and fragile, bringing everything to you, just don’t add anything from yourself, and don’t help ... with your cars! ...) Work hard, eat simply, do everything on time, and you will have a centner of rice you want, so that later in the winter you can sing songs and babysit your grandchildren, or what do you intend to do there in free time..?))

What if you don't? What if you don't? is my way of thinking. In the end, I came to the conclusion that there is no need to plow the land, no need to fertilize, no need to compost, no need to use insecticides. When you think about it, there are few farming practices that are really necessary.

M. Fukuoka

He himself said that farming does not require any kind of effort from him, so that he is completely exhausted, making so many unnecessary movements to get ten times less if he just did only what was necessary. So he called the method of farming "the method of not doing." And this, apparently, in a human way, to know the place and time for one's efforts, without complicating the already ideal process, and let the Earth offer the rest, she knows better how to achieve unprecedented harvests. Just have time to show gratitude, but bow at the feet. On the field, in the sense, to squat in order to be closer to her ...)

The whole life of this divine farmer, master… such an important lesson, in order to shed one's own importance… such a heavy burden…, and walk lightly on this earth, whistling to the birds in unison, picking peaches from the trees.

Architect Michael Reynolds and Earthships

Or another magical person. For example, I definitely felt that in the morning I woke up completely different, the night before I watched a film about the American architect Michael Reynolds, who created “dreams from garbage”. So simple! Entire DREAMS, dreams-s-s-s-s-s ... offered to build from garbage!

Dreams in the form of fully autonomous and energy-efficient earthships (“earthships”) houses built from the “waste of modern society”. All you need is imagination, a little fire in your heart, and go! The most bizarre fantasies are already in line to be realized from any improvised and seemingly inappropriate things ... from tires, plastic bottles, broken glass ...

Nothing comes into this house from the outside: no electricity, no gas, there is no sewerage, no running water - the house is completely autonomous. There are more than 20 thousand liters of water here, all waste is recycled, and the temperature in the house does not fall below 21 degrees. Living in such a house, you get control over all aspects of everyday life. family from four people living in such a house can forget about trips to the store. I believe this is a new path for all mankind. I have been doing my job for 30 years, but even this is not enough to unleash the full potential of the treasures that lie before us.

M. Reynolds

Only somewhere again simple ideas for years they may be banned by the system. “does not comply with the rules of construction” (it’s scary when something like this appears in our stable world, which is as stable as it is so unstable that at any moment it can be demolished by a hurricane ... mm ... ?!) And a person, for example, thumps and he definitely feels the connection between hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, the awakening of volcanoes and other natural “disturbances” (against what, I wonder?) and tons of garbage that we produce and consider to be the most ideal way out just to bury somewhere ... or even bury it there ... it’s not our royal… we’d better throw off all our… uh… shit… Fuller would call it the learned word “entropy” into one uncomplicated heap!

By raising your head, you risk being shot off. Even logic refused me to some extent, because everything was against me. I lost my way of earning money, I lost my self-respect, I was left without a license. I lost everything! When people ask me whom I admire, first of all I remember Noah. He built an ark in the middle of the desert. There was no sea nearby and everyone laughed at him while he was building it, but he knew what would happen next.

M. Reynolds

And old Mike, a real creator, not indifferent, sensitive, sees and tries to recycle this garbage with the help of his natural architectural genius .., to make autonomous houses, reminding that here it is, everything is there, everything is possible - just make up your mind. Inspired by the image of Noah, who, no matter what, pounded his ship ... Only Noah, probably, then, in the spirit of the time, had the most excellent tree, and here, in modern times, tires were used, not up to high breeds! Michael's skill also came in handy when a part of the coast of India was blown away by a hurricane. Eyewitnesses say: “God played for five minutes and claimed thousands of lives ... everything that surrounded us simply disappeared and these debris remained ...” Yes, and then, apparently, according to the scenario, he sent our “garbage warrior” there so that he would just knowing how to assemble “new arks” from these fragments, showed others how it is done?

And there, in his native America, old Mike struggled with the inertia of the system for many years, going through bureaucratic hell, paying huge senseless bills, all in order to prove that his autonomous "earthships" are very expressive in the current realities, it would seem dilapidated, but in fact it took on a different form, the image of the Ship, which was in a hurry to escape from a big flood (one day it decided not to wash off half of the coast, but in general to clean everything up).

When I started the construction, I thought, first of all, about a comfortable environment. Now it's about survival. We understand that due to the efforts of mankind it will soon be impossible to live on this planet. And as this moment approaches inexorably, we are trying to invent an effective way to make life easier for people.

M. Reynolds

And once again, tired after an inconclusive meeting that denied him the right to build his "lifeboats", the arch-super-Mike said: "Lawmaking is a wonderful occupation for those who have a lot of time and they do not know where to spend it . The problem is that our planet needs urgent changes…” Yes, but sometimes it’s so hard to see that in the face of natural disasters and sudden illnesses, it (time) can disappear, wake up like sand in the gigantic hours of eternity. And what will be left after? A pile of rubbish that won't even be assigned any special architect to give it some kind of design-meaning-beauty..? Yes-ah-ah-ah-ah, genius! “A Pile of Garbage” is a convex, multifaceted piece of art, a symbol of the era of consumption, like the Tower of Babel, going high up with pieces of rusted decks sticking out of it ... And it contains all our life, our hopes, aspirations, desires and habits ... bold symbol, instructive!

But here, too, fate remained favorable. A few years later, Michael nevertheless broke through with his perseverance a blank wall of misunderstanding, having received back a construction license, and his “ships” sailed on the sea of ​​realization as options for alternative houses, shelters, lifestyles ... He broke through, yes, but after, in addition to India built more similar structures in other disaster areas. Apparently, it took not one, but five hurricanes, and eight tsunamis with three tornadoes, to accept this forced “alternative” to the habit of pulling the blanket over oneself, regardless of the resources of the Planet.

Ark and Titanic

So now, already to another, apparently, a person (another squirrel, not the one that was yesterday) after these meetings and realizations, it’s not appropriate for me to waste time on self-admiration ... examples of senior designers and arch-freaks from counter-permaculture, I watch birds, I myself set out to plant tomatoes ..! And now I have a blog... Garden of Nature... dedicated to this "alternative way of life"...

Now let's imagine a shipwrecked man. Let him be considered a very rich man, worth more than a billion dollars by all notions of real wealth. With him on the cruise, he took all his stocks and bonds, property deeds, checkbooks, all their diamonds and gold bars. The ship is burning and sinking, and there are no lifeboats, they are also all burned down.

RBF " RUCKZ »

But if you think about it, what is the alternative? It's hard to imagine, and even harder to say. An alternative to absurdity, chaos, ignorance, unwillingness to feel something in this world and look beyond the high, upturned nose, which with its sharp end, like the Titanic, flies on an iceberg surrounded by endless night and the cold of the Atlantic Ocean? Although, it would seem, then there was no hint of failure - confident in themselves and their the best specialists who recognized it as "practically unsinkable" set sail to conquer the Okiya. On practically Titan, who, by the way, threatened to overthrow the gods from Olympus, for which he himself was thrown into Tartarus. It is also interesting here that the titans were considered “second gods”, that is, the children of Heaven (Uranus) and Earth (Gaia), which is very similar, it seems to me, in a sense, to the position of man.And the image of Tartarus is not even the realm of the dead Hades, where there is nothing else ... but the very bottom of the abyss, below, as they say, there is nowhere ... in the literal sense of the abyss, deep and endless waters of nothingness, covered with a triple layer of darkness.

And on such a huge, steel, exorbitantly expensive (“luxury at sea”), created due to the competition of millionaires (who invested in golden toilets, but for some reason saved on lifeboats), demonstrating the most advanced achievements of science and shipbuilding, Titanishche ... we moved in order to stumble upon the only obstacle in the middle of the void and having practically taxied out, we still cannot avoid the tenacious and cold-blooded fingernail of fate, acting precisely and clearly knowing how to make a hole in this clumsy pelvis ..?)) And not all at once, but beautifully and clearly , effectively breaking the ridge into two parts, so that for a long time everything there fell apart in pieces and slowly sank to the bottom ... With the upper class sitting in it in silks and diamonds, the middle ones and the simplest people in the lower compartments ... There’s no need for gradation, both on the upper and on the lower, the force of ice water acts in the same way.

If our billionaire holds on to his gold, he will drown a little earlier than others. So I would say that he has almost no today or tomorrow in which he can apply this wealth, and because wealth cannot work retroactively, his type of wealth is practically useless. This is really a useless pile of nonsense in the game of chance we play, and it has nothing to do with the actual evolutionary transactions in our universe.

The Earthship is an energy-efficient autonomous structure that does not require connection to a thermal power plant and at the same time helps to get rid of many problems and costs associated with operation. No bills for utilities both electricity and water will never be turned off. And thanks to the use of alternative building materials, construction costs are reduced. It can be added that the project is so simple to build that almost anyone can implement it.

Where did it all start?

The Earth Ship is a symbiosis of life support systems and a person inside a single living space. Since 1969, while still an architect, Michael Reynolds began experimenting with freestanding buildings in New Mexico in the southern United States. Now Michael is no longer an architect, but a biotector. This term appeared in connection with the direction in which the architecture of passive houses developed. A fighter against garbage and toxic waste on the planet, Reynolds created a home-ship from the waste of modern society. This approach uses waste materials that are distributed throughout the world, available even in the most remote corners of the Earth: carton boxes, aluminum cans, old car tires, glass and plastic bottles.

The first building block was once made from aluminum beer cans tightly tied with wire. Subsequently, banks began to be used one at a time, like bricks. But the most famous building block in such construction is, of course, a tire filled with soil. After many years of operation, it was found that the structure of the tires also has a high seismic resistance. And now the double-dome model of the Simple Survival house uses about 3000 aluminum cans, 7000 glass bottles, 1800 plastic bottles, about 340 car tires and 300 cardboard boxes.

Construction

In order to start building the Earthship, you will need a house plan. Michael Reynolds and his team are personally developing plans. Even a person without special education is able to build a ship. Everything is based on common sense.

One of the main elements with which the Earth Ship interacts is the sun. The house is located along the trajectory of the sun, depending on the location of the site. Solar heat penetrates into the room through the facade glass, heating the thermal mass of the walls and floor, and the thermal mass plays an important role in the concept of the Ship.

Consider as an example the Simple Survival model, which has a U shape and does not exceed 5.5 m in width and 8 m in length. On three sides, the module is surrounded by a massive wall of seven levels of tires. Tire diameter decreases from bottom to top, starting at 235/15 at the bottom, then 225/15 in the middle and 205/15 at the top. After laying out the wall, it is covered with layers of plaster and metal mesh, and when everything is ready, the final layer of plaster made of natural clay or pigmented cement is applied on top.

After some time, the mass of the Earth Ship warms up to a constant level, and then a comfortable temperature level is maintained in the living space around +21°С all year round. During the day, the thermal mass of the house accumulates heat, while cooling the room, and at night it releases heat, preventing the room from cooling too much.

The Simple Survival model uses a domed roof. To create a frame, up to 10 reinforcing bars 6 m long, a metal mesh with cells no more than 1.5 cm in diameter and wire are used.

This technique is also used in the "Flower" and "Hut" models. Others use 15 cm x 25 cm timber or logs. Outside, the walls and roof are insulated with a special coating based on ethylene-propylene rubber and insulation. The walls are surrounded by a large amount of soil to create a powerful thermal mass.

In order to cool and ventilate such a structure, a 1.2 m by 1.2 hatch made of durable wood is usually installed in the bow of the Ship on the roof. An air inflow channel is installed in the rear of the ship. Commonly used plastic pipes with a diameter of 10-30 cm. In winter and in harsh climatic conditions, full ventilation is not necessary: ​​air movement through the front doors will be enough.

Electricity

The most common type of alternative energy is solar, produced by photovoltaic panels. In addition to them, Earthships use wind generators: it all depends on the climatic zone in which the Ship is being built. Solar panels are installed on the illuminated facade of the Ship. Batteries are used to store electricity. Any qualified electrician can help you calculate how much energy your Ship will produce.

Water

The Earth Ship collects and processes water - rain and melt. The sloping roofs serve as drains and direct flows to cisterns, where the water settles and is filtered by a five-stage filter system. It is then distributed throughout the house for domestic use and drinking. The processing of "gray" waters is also provided: drains from kitchen and bathroom sinks, washing machine. They are also cleaned and used in the greenhouse system.

It should be noted that in the Earthship the use of hazardous chemicals will have to be left in the past: it will be necessary to switch to more natural remedies for cleaning and washing. The same water is sent to flush the toilet, from where it is sent to a septic tank, and then to an outdoor compartment for watering inedible plants. The water cycle is maintained by pumps that are connected to an isolated solar panel. Another insulated panel serves the snow melter on the roof. Even in winter, you can get water from a natural source.

The Earthship provides space for autonomous food production. The greenhouse, in which edible plants grow all year round, is without a doubt the main feature that distinguishes this type of biotecture. Where sub-zero temperatures prevail for a significant part of the year, it is recommended to build double or even triple greenhouses, and in tropical countries this area can be left completely open. In harsh climates, double glass panels are used around the perimeter, while in more moderate climates, acrylic panels can be used to reduce cost.

Double-glazed windows are usually not used to create greenhouses, since it means that the building will be accessible to everyone and can be built in remote areas where all building materials are not always available. However, much depends on climatic conditions, and such nuances are taken into account directly when designing a building. Greenhouses serve not only to produce food, but also participate in the water filtration system, as mentioned earlier.

In the Earthship, you can produce not only vegetable food but also an animal. For example, you can install a fish pool or a chicken coop. It is useful to recall the principles of aquaponics: systems of natural water filtration and fish breeding at home. Aquaponics saturates water with vital elements and fertilizers to maintain healthy soil for plants. Even in a harsh winter, bananas will grow in your greenhouse!

Primitive dugout? Not at all!

If you are confused by the apparent simplicity and asceticism of the idea, you need not worry. The Earth Ship can be equipped with all the latest innovations in technology, everything that your imagination draws and your wallet allows. The world's largest ship Sunridge is owned by Dennis Weaver. It was built on a plot of about 10 hectares and has a living area of ​​3000 sq. meters. In 1990, the house cost $1 million. Now its cost is four times more. But if you are a poet and a romantic, and you don’t need a TV and you have enough simple but functional housing, then you can meet $5,000.

Where did the ships anchor?

Resources for construction can be found even in the most remote parts of the planet. Therefore, ships as shelters for victims of natural disasters are located in the Philippines, Haiti, the Andaman Islands, and work is already underway in Nepal. This is how schools were built on Easter Island, in Sierra Leone in Africa. In November 2015, a school-ship will open in Uruguay. The Earth Ships are already in Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, Honolulu, Malawi, Canada, USA, France, Great Britain, Scotland, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, China, Japan, Fiji. Projects are already planned in Cameroon and Germany. The concept of Ships as a new type of residence continues to spread throughout the world. Tested by time and different climatic conditions, it has proved its right to exist.

Energy efficient? Passive? Autonomous?

The point is not in terms, but in the fact that the goal of the project was to change the traditional ideas about the house and create a building that meets the requirements of strength, durability, energy efficiency, functionality and comfort. The bad habit of consuming, regardless of resources, will have to be abandoned: after all, it can leave the Ship without water or electricity. The symbiosis of the Earth Ship and its inhabitants will change the outdated point of view on the way of life, will bring our civilization to a qualitatively new level of conscious, responsible attitude to the planet's resources.

Who made it possible?

Biotector Michael Reynolds has heard a lot over the years. He was called both crazy and an idiot, but despite this, he continued to live his dream. At first, the buildings were created from natural and improvised materials. As a result, their cost was very low. After obtaining a building permit, it was decided to use some ready-made Construction Materials such as cement and insulation. This brought the cost of the Earthship closer to the cost of a conventional building. However, it is up to you to decide how and what you will build and what systems to install.

For more than 40 years, the construction of ecological houses has been developing in New Mexico. What was once a single building has grown into a settlement of over two hundred houses. The press has already named the village of Greater World (The Best World) the first eco-city.

More like spaceships from the Star Wars series. But this form, as a rule, makes it completely self-sufficient, with minimal energy consumption and built entirely from local resources.

Often, earthen houses are horseshoe-shaped, the frame here is made from old tires that are filled with earth, and the walls are made from empty cans or bottles. Topped with clay plaster and decorated with stucco. The roof is covered with earth or unfired bricks for energy efficiency.

1. Sustainable does not mean primitive

When people hear about sustainable green houses, they usually represent primitive houses without amenities. However, Earthship offers all the comforts of a modern home.

2. Free food.

Each earthen is equipped with one or two, regardless of weather conditions. This means that you can constantly provide yourself with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from the comfort of your home. In an earthen house, you can make a small chicken coop or a pond or have a constant source of meat and eggs.

3. Fantastic water recycling system.

Even in the driest weather, you can provide yourself with enough water for daily use thanks to the rainwater harvesting system.

The entire roof of the earthen house leads into a cistern, which is used for a toilet and shower room as needed. pumped into the greenhouse to water the plants. After watering the plants, it is filtered again and sent to the drain tank in the toilet. Further, the water is sent to the septic tank, from which it is pumped out for watering the plants in the garden.

4. Comfortable temperature

An earthen house makes it possible to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the year. Even in times of extreme heat or cold, Earthships maintain a constant temperature of 22°C.

5. Clean energy.

rooftops and wind turbines provide all the energy you need for your home. And you, at the same time, learn to use it more rationally and economically.

6. Freedom and autonomy.

With such a house, you will not have to worry about having to pay bills for electricity, gas and heating every month, you are independent! You don't have to work at a job you hate just to survive. Which means you can spend your time doing what you love and improve the world around you.
Imagine if everyone could focus on doing extraordinary things instead of just doing the bare minimum to survive. Imagine if at least 10% of the world's population could. How would the world change?

7. Easy to build.

At an Earthship conference recently held in Toronto, Canada, a 40 year old couple shared their experience of building an Earthship in just 3 months. They had never built anything before in their lives and were able to build an earthen house only according to printed plans. They had no construction crew, no expensive equipment to make the job easier or faster, no help at all.
If a man and a woman can do it within three months, then everyone can do it.

8. Availability.

Earth houses are much cheaper than ordinary houses. On average, basic Earthships cost between $7,000 and $70,000, depending on your needs.
Such earthen houses can meet the needs of every person.

9. Made from recycled materials.

Most of the materials used to build Earthships can be recycled. First, the frame is made from worn tires. Tires are found in landfills in every country in the world.


The walls are laid out from plastic, tin or glass bottles.

10. Think differently.

The most powerful weapon in earthen houses is that they make people think differently about how we live. If you can build and live in sustainable homes, what else can we change? Can something simpler and cheaper be better at the same time?
It's time for us to change some of the things that we think are normal.

" (№7, 2014)

Did you know?
For the first time in the literature, a description of the technology of building houses from "crumpled earth" is found in the book by Francois Quantero "School of rural architecture, or Instruction on how to build durable houses about many dwellings from earth alone, or from other ordinary and cheap materials." (M.: Univ. type. at Ridiger and Claudia, 1794).

ancient houses from the ground in Europe
The technology of building houses from the earth differed from the methods of building adobe or adobe structures: the walls of earth houses contained no more than half of the clay in their composition, and they did not use straw as a reinforcing aggregate. Instead of clay, for the construction of houses from the earth, sticky types of soil are used mixed with sand, which should be in a mixture of 50-70%. The suitability of land for construction in the Middle Ages was determined by the following criteria: the earth should not crumble when rolled between the palms, the cakes from the earth should not crumble, and when the earth is soaked in a glass for a day, “stickiness” should fall to the bottom. The suitable earth was usually cracked in the drought and made good hard ruts from the cartwheels. If used different types earth, they were previously mixed together. In greasy earth (clay) was added mineral supplements: sand, lime and road dust. The French architect François Quantero wrote:
All types of earth are good (for the construction of earthen houses), if they are neither sapless, nor lean, nor too fat.
1) all lands that originate from the plant kingdom.
2) any sticky earth; it is also called clay.
3) any solid ground mixed with sand is the most capable of earthwork.

For work, soil was taken from a depth of up to 1 meter. With the help of a rake, large stones, roots and other inclusions were sifted out. Between the teeth of the rake, soil particles no larger than a nut were to pass. Land for construction should not be too dry or too wet. In the first case, it does not connect, in the second it becomes fluid like dough.
The classic medieval technology for building houses from the earth was known in three versions: layer-by-layer tamping of earth walls with a low adjustable formwork with a vise (boards with a twist that compresses the formwork when the collar is twisted), wall tamping of walls with a high adjustable formwork with a vice, and tamping of earth blocks for subsequent laying of walls from them.
In the first version, for the erection of walls, a floating formwork 3 meters long and about 80 cm high was used. The walls began to be erected on a limestone foundation (it tends to absorb water from walls) at least 60 cm high. . After that, layers of earth of 7-10 cm were filled up. The earth in the formwork was slightly moistened. The earth was rammed first along the perimeter, then in the middle, and then once again the entire backfill across. The layer of earth was supposed to shrink one and a half to two times from its original height. Then the formwork was moved to the next section of the wall. A lime mortar was applied over the layer. The joints of the rammed earth in the walls were arranged with bevels of 30 degrees for better dressing of the rammed sections. In this way, you can build quite high walls. With a wall height of 3.5 meters, its thickness at the base should have been at least 45 cm, and under - 35 cm.
In the second construction method, the height of the walls is limited by the height of the formwork. This method was used for the construction of outbuildings. At the same time, the walls turned out to be more homogeneous - without layers of lime. To connect the walls, unhewn boards were used, which were embedded inside. Also, the boards were placed under the floor beams and Mauerlats.

In the manufacture of earth blocks, wooden molds were used, in which sticky earth was rammed. This method was closest to the construction of adobe houses.
For framing and fixing window and doorways used stone or brick. After the filling of the walls was completed, they were treated with turpentine water to make them water resistant and dried for several months, covered with a roof from precipitation. The roof was most often tiled on boards smeared with alabaster (this design made the earth-beaten house fireproof). After the walls had dried, they were slightly moistened, notched and smeared with lime, a mixture of lime and sand (1 to 2) or a mixture of lime, clay and wool. From the inside, they plastered with alabaster on nails previously hammered into the wall for better connection between walls and plaster. After the plaster had dried, the walls were whitewashed with lime.

If there are things in the world that help to believe that the future has already arrived (at least not far off), then eco-architecture undoubtedly belongs to their number. Indeed, whether we will live to see the colonization of Mars is an open question, but smart houses, ideally inscribed in the surrounding landscape, consuming a minimum of energy, with a full cycle of waste processing - a completely objective reality.

And it all began half a century ago, during a time of energy crisis and growing public concern about environmental problems. After a century of thoughtless and unrestrained exploitation of the planet's resources, people began to seriously think about what they would leave to their descendants. It was in those years that the concept of "sustainable development" began to take shape, sustainable development - the idea of ​​harmonious non-destructive progress. And part of this concept has become modern "green construction", the task of which is to minimize the harmful impact on environment(and, of course, on the person himself) in all possible ways. There are a great many of these methods, hence the variety of areas of eco-architecture - from projects of high-tech urban agglomerations to huts in the forest made from improvised materials. The main principles of "green building" are as follows.

Illustration: Irina Fateeva

Energy saving. A "green house" should consume a minimum of energy - the concept of a "passive house". Ideally, consume nothing at all, or even produce an excess of energy - an “active house”. Apart from LED lamps and other high-tech, the architect has a whole range of engineering solutions to reduce energy costs for lighting, ventilation and heating - from light wells to "wind catchers", with which the ancient Persians and Egyptians ventilated their homes. In the collection of energy, "passive houses" come to natural penny, managing to store heat from light bulbs, household electrical appliances, and even the owners themselves and their pets.

And some solutions perform several useful functions at once. A green roof, for example, is both heat and noise insulation, and rainwater purification, and oxygen production, and just beautiful, finally. Plus, of course, the generation of energy from renewable sources solar panels, wind turbines, etc. In addition to energy green house saves water. Rainwater collection, processing and cleaning of sewage, faucets with photocells (I removed my hands - it stopped flowing) - yes, yes, as you thought, every drop counts.

environmental friendliness of building materials, which is interpreted quite broadly. It can be about local natural materials, which do not require special energy costs for delivery and processing - stone, sand, clay, algae, straw, wood of fast-growing species (for example, bamboo), and a variety of recyclable materials - construction waste, melted scrap metal and even car tires.

And, of course, a green house should provide comfortable and healthy environment for its inhabitants.

However, both the transforming house, and the tree house, and the mobile house-capsule are so far rather the prototypes of the “green future”, the first signs that do not make the weather.

Of course, at the same time to combine all the principles of green building in one project is an extremely difficult task, but many of them quite successfully solve it and put it into practice. Back in the 70s, American architect Mark Reynolds began building "earthships" - completely autonomous, not connected to any communications houses from old tires filled with earth. For forty years the community of "ship owners" has grown all over the world, about 2000 "ships" were built in 25 countries. More and more such houses of varying degrees of autonomy are being built every year - both by single enthusiasts and by commercial companies for sale.

However, both the "earth ships", and the transforming house, and the tree house, and the mobile capsule house are so far rather the prototypes of the "green future", the first swallows that do not make the weather. And if green building were limited only to them, it would not be worth talking about it seriously. In the end, not only the seven billion people of the Earth, but even the "golden billion" is physically impossible to settle in individual houses. Urbanization is an unstoppable process, so our future is a city. And the future of the city is determined by state policy, and in this regard, the situation (at least in developed countries) allows us to look ahead, albeit with restrained, but still optimism. In 1990, the BREEAM environmental standard was developed in the UK, ten years later it was adapted in the USA and Canada (LEED), and now more than 300,000 buildings in the world are certified according to these standards.

Just in case, let's clarify that, of course, we are not talking about the fact that each of the certified buildings immediately complies with all of the above principles of green building. Both standards have a lot of criteria for scoring, and in order to pass certification, you need to score more than 30 points out of 100 in the British version, or more than forty in the American version. And yes, nowhere in the world these standards, alas, are not generally binding, everything is purely voluntary. Well, excuse me, as I said, we look to the future with restrained optimism. Very reserved.

Impressed? Now come down from heaven to earth. What kind of eco-architecture can we talk about when we can’t even provide parking for new buildings?

And in order not to lose heart at all, see what miracles the talent of an architect, engineering thought and high tech. Here is a Chinese lotus that uses geothermal energy for heating and air conditioning. Here are the Japanese gardens of Babylon. Malaysian green plant. Singapore cyborg trees. Garden of Space Reflections in Scotland. The Milwaukee Art Museum that spreads its wings on a sunny day. Parisian Branly Museum with a green facade. Or here is the German Heliotrope, which rotates after the Sun (this idea, by the way, was stolen from the architect Vertibutylkin from Dunno in the Sunny City - that's where it is, the future!)

Looked? Impressed? Now come down from heaven to earth. No matter how much I delayed this sad moment, I still have to return to the topic of our article. That is, to try to answer the question of whether there is a future for eco-architecture in Russia. And of course, instead of a constructive answer, obscene exclamations and caustic remarks first come to mind. Say, what kind of eco-architecture are we talking about here, when we can’t even provide parking for our new buildings? When is sticking a 20-story candle into the yard a common practice for us? When we build, do not understand how and do not understand from what? And so on and so forth. All this dross (together with philosophical questions like “does Russia have a future at all?”) we will patiently brush aside and try to reason calmly. Considerate and impartial.

But measuredly and impartially, it turns out that there is it, the future. Only very close. Because - well, remember, we were promised modernization and innovation five or six years ago? There was also such a president - Medvedev, with such an iPhone - remember, maybe. Well, how are we doing with innovation? So, with eco-architecture it will be even worse. Because, firstly, no one has even bothered to promise us anything on this score yet. And secondly, in the field of electronics and high-tech, we still have at least some developments from Soviet times. But in the field of green building, even that is not the case. But what can I say, we have not even developed a generally accepted terminology for this industry - someone talks about eco-architecture and eco-development, someone talks about green houses and green construction (and about “passive” and “active” houses, I generally silent).

A person looking for reasons for restrained optimism will always find them.

That is, the number one problem is the personnel problem. In fact, there is no one to design these most wonderful houses. Even in the West, this is a problem, because the industry is quite young - two or three decades at the most. And we don’t even have a problem, but a disaster, because in addition to the architects themselves, we also need engineers, and very highly qualified ones, and it’s not guest workers who should build. Compared to this, the second problem - in fact, the technological gap - even somehow fades, because we can buy technology, but with the purchase of brains (not to mention growing our own), everything is much worse.

And yet, the devil knows in what order these problems should be arranged, because problem number three is fundamental for the entire industry, here and there. Simply expensive. Expensive toys - these green houses, especially with us, with the above. Additional costs, of course, will eventually pay off due to low (or even zero) costs for energy and maintenance of the building, but this is more a consolation for someone who builds a house in the forest than for a developer, moreover, a domestic one. And here we come close to problem number four, and this problem is called the State. Let me remind you that in the West, green building is just a part of the concept of sustainable development. A concept that has been implemented in developed countries for more than two decades at the state level. Albeit not as fast as we would like, but still implemented. Separate collection garbage, recycling, saving all and sundry natural resources, energy efficiency, a gradual transition to renewable energy sources - all this is already a reality. There. And here - alas, so far, declarations and pipe dreams.

So, is it all completely vague? Of course not. A person looking for reasons for restrained optimism will always find them. Firstly, the path of a lone enthusiast is not reserved for anyone. In tires, for example, there is no shortage, so it is quite possible to build the same "earthen ship" - where climatic conditions allow. Secondly, according to the Green Building Council, the green building certification process is also slowly moving forward. At the end of September 2014, as many as 43 buildings, mainly office real estate, were certified according to LEED and BREEAM standards in Russia. These are the objective data, and how to interpret them, whether this glass is empty or full - decide for yourself.

Dmitry Petropavlovsky